The NBA postseason returns to NBC for the first time since 2002 and makes its debut on Peacock this Sunday, April 19, beginning with a star-studded doubleheader featuring two-time NBA All-Star Cade Cunningham and the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons hosting the East's No. 8 seed at 6:30 p.m. ET and two-time NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama, in his playoff debut, and the Western Conference's No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs hosting the No. 7 seed at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports will present up to 41 games of live coverage throughout the First Round and Conference Semifinals, as well as exclusive coverage of the entire Western Conference Finals.

NBCUniversal will provide multiple ways for viewers to watch and follow its postseason schedule, including coverage on the NBC broadcast network, the streaming platform Peacock, cable network NBCSN, as well as social media and digital coverage.

NBA Playoff Programming across NBCUniversal

NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock. A detailed programming release will be released later this week. NBC Sports' First Round coverage begins on Sunday, April 19, on NBC and Peacock, with the aforementioned Pistons/East No. 8 seed and Spurs/West No. 7 seed doubleheader.

Peacock Viewing Experience

Peacock will stream comprehensive coverage of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, including select First Round games, Conference Semifinal matchups, and all the Western Conference Finals. Additionally, all games exclusively streaming on Peacock will be simulcast on NBCSN. Game replays will be available through June 30.

Fans will have access to many of the same features they enjoyed during the regular season, with more ways to watch and engage with their favorite teams and players:

Live in Browse lets fans see all the action the moment they open the Peacock app. Dynamic insights and real-time data on the home page gives fans context about the match-up, helping viewers get up to speed before they start watching.

Catch Up with Key Plays makes it easy for fans to quickly catch up on the big moments they missed. A playlist of key highlights appears right below the video controls, so anyone tuning in late can instantly see what has happened so far in the game.

Can't Miss Highlights give fans real-time vertical video clips that update as the game is happening. With one quick tap, they can jump straight into the live game on Peacock. Can't Miss Highlights put the latest game highlights and notable moments from games across the league into swipe-able playlists, only on the Peacock mobile app.

Courtside Live offers fans a specially curated viewing experience to take control of how they watch. On mobile, fans can navigate between"Star Spotlight," which highlights standout players on the court,"Hot Highlights," which curates moments from the game and beyond, and"Home Team" and"Away Team" views that focus on each team's bench, catching player reactions all while watching the main broadcast via picture-in-picture. On TV and web, these angles are available in a Multiview experience. Available on select games, Courtside Live brings fans closer than ever to the action, giving them a new level of access to the game.

Peacock ScoreCard provides some friendly competition in a first-of-its-kind, real-time streaming experience. Fans can scroll to select a game card based on what they think will happen, then earn points based on in-game outcomes. Personalized Peacock ScoreCard alerts keep fans updated on their performance throughout the matchup and show how they stack up against other players. Top-performing fans may even see their username featured on the leaderboard during the broadcast.

Peacock Performance View leans into fan behavior and gamification, allowing viewers to see real-time stats that break down the game, from which player is on a shooting streak to where they are most likely to score from next. This first-of-its-kind experience offers fans metrics and game insights layered on top of the game, an approach that blends entertainment with analytics in a seamless, user-friendly way. Peacock Performance View can be accessed directly through the NBA hub on Peacock.

NBC Sports' NBA Playoffs History 

NBC Sports was one of the homes of the NBA postseason for 12 consecutive seasons during the previous NBA on NBC run from 1990-2002. Some of the most iconic moments in NBA history featuring numerous Hall of Famers and legends happened on NBC, including:

All six of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and head coach Phil Jackson's NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls (1991-1993, 1996-1998).

This run also included Jordan's famous shot over Utah's Bryon Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals to clinch his final NBA championship (June 14, 1998).

"The Shrug Game": Jordan makes a then-record six three-pointers in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. After hitting the sixth one, he famously shrugged (June 3, 1992).

Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals: the Lakers cap off a huge fourth quarter comeback against the Trail Blazers with a now-iconic alley-oop from Bryant to O'Neal to effectively seal the game and clinch the franchise's first Finals berth in almost a decade (June 4, 2000).

The Los Angeles Lakers' three-peat from 2000-2002 with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and head coach Phil Jackson.

Hakeem Olajuwon leading the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994-1995.

Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and the Gregg Popovich-led San Antonio Spurs defeating the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals for the first title in franchise history and kickstarting a dynasty that would go on to win four more championships over the next 15 years.

Indiana Pacers star (and current NBC Sports NBA game analyst) Reggie Miller scoring eight points in 8.9 seconds to beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals (May 7, 1995).

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